February 20, 2002, Update:

FY 2002 SCAAP application period is closed.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) closed the fiscal year (FY) 2002 State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) application period on February 1, 2002, at 8 p.m. e.t. BJA is no longer accepting applications for FY 2002 SCAAP funding. If you have any questions, please contact the Strategic Response Center Hotline at 1-888-549-9901, option #4.

December 2001 Update:

The FY 2002 SCAAP application period will open on January 3, 2002.

Refer to the table below for additional information regarding the FY 2002 application process. The SCAAP program is administered by the State and Local Assistance Division (SLAD) of BJA. Assistance is available through the SLAD Strategic Response Center Hotline at 1-888-549-9901, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please print out this table and keep a copy of these dates for your reference.

Critical Deadlines for SCAAP Applicants

FY 2002 Reporting Period: All inmate records and supporting information provided on the FY 2002 SCAAP application must pertain to the reporting period July 1, 2000, through June 30, 2001.

New for 2002

Browser Compatibility

For maximum compatibility and functionality, the FY 2002 SCAAP online application system is best accessed using Internet Explorer 5.5 or Netscape Communicator 4.7. Use of any version of an America Online (AOL) browser could seriously affect an applicant's ability to access all portions of the online SCAAP application and submit a completed application through the system. Only applications submitted electronically through the FY 2002 SCAAP system will be accepted.

Country of Birth Codes

Beginning with the FY 2002 SCAAP application, ALL applicants MUST use the standard INS Country Codes for the country of birth information provided in the inmate records. No custom or abbreviated country codes will be accepted, regardless of whether or not a jurisdiction submits a country code data dictionary. Inmate records that do not contain the required INS Country Code format will be considered incomplete and will not be eligible for funding under FY 2002 SCAAP.

Click here to download and print a complete list of the current INS Country Codes.

Inmate File Format

All inmate files must be submitted in the required ASCII text format, as detailed in the attached format description and sample file. In addition, BJA is making available a sample file that can be downloaded for use in preparing an applicant inmate records file. Please note that the file must be field/space delimited and not contain any tabs, characters, etc., that are not part of the actual data. Each record must contain at least 149 letters, numbers, and spaces and no more than 160 if the FBI number is included.

Additional Inmate Data Review and Feedback

The SCAAP online system has been enhanced to include additional data review and real-time feedback to applicants. At the time that the inmate files are uploaded, the online system will verify not only that every record is in the correct format but also that it is complete and contains validation. Upon completion of the data review, applicants will receive an onscreen report advising them of the results. This report will not only include the total count of complete and incomplete records but also provide a detailed explanation of which records had errors and the exact nature of all errors.

At the same time, applicants will be provided with an opportunity to either correct the data errors or submit the file with the errors. Applicants need to know that after the FY 2002 application is submitted, inmate files will not be available for any data changes. In order to ensure that the maximum number of inmate records are considered for payment, it is important that applicants correct any data errors at the time of the file upload and before the application is submitted to BJA.

Legislative Authority

If the chief executive officer (CEO) of a state (or, if appropriate, a political subdivision of the state) exercising authority with respect to the incarceration of an undocumented criminal alien submits a written request to the Attorney General, the Attorney General shall enter into a contractual arrangement that provides for compensation to the state or a political subdivision of the state, as may be appropriate, with respect to the incarceration of the undocumented criminal alien. For FY 2002, approximately $550 million has been made available for this program. The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) is authorized and governed by the provisions of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, Public Law 106-113, Division B, Section 1000(a); Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1252, Section 242 as amended; Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Public Law 103-322, Title II, subtitle C, Section 20301.

Eligible Applicants

States and units of general government that have authority over correctional facilities that incarcerate or detain undocumented criminal aliens for a minimum of 72 consecutive hours are eligible to apply for SCAAP funds. The phrase "states and units of general government" encompasses the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and nearly 3,000 counties and cities with jail facilities. The CEO of these jurisdictions must directly apply or delegate authority to another jurisdictional official to apply on behalf of the jurisdiction. User accounts for SCAAP may only be established by government officials within the applying jurisdictions; no nongovernment officials may establish user accounts on behalf of applying jurisdictions. When establishing a user account, for the purpose of SCAAP, sheriffs or chiefs of police are not considered CEOs but may serve as the contact people who establish the SCAAP user accounts on behalf of their CEOs. All applications must be filed in the name of the state or unit of general government and must include the name and official title of the jurisdiction's CEO and reliable electronic mail (e-mail) addresses for the jurisdiction's CEO and any designated program contact. Applications may not list the submitting agency as the jurisdiction (e.g., Montgomery County Sheriff's Department; Florida Department of Corrections, etc.).

Online Application and Payment Processes

For the third consecutive year, the FY 2002 SCAAP application and payment processes will be managed through an innovative web-based, electronic system. Applicants will apply, transmit inmate data, and receive payment via this system.

Registration/Application Period

For FY 2002, this program will use a 3-week applicant account registration period with a concurrent 4-week application period. All jurisdictions that intend to apply for FY 2002 SCAAP funds MUST start their application prior to the January 25 deadline.

All completed applications must be submitted prior to the end of the 4-week application period. There will be no exception.

Jurisdictions that received payments for the FY 2000 and/or FY 2001 funding cycles MUST use the same account (user ID and password) that was used in FY 2000 and/or FY 2001. If you should experience user ID and/or password problems, please call 1-888-549-9901, option #5, or send an e-mail using the GMS e-mail function.

Applicants who are new to the SCAAP process should complete their applications while waiting for BJA approval of their user accounts. These applications may be submitted after the applicants' user accounts are approved.

The posting of final payments requires that all data are received and processed at one time; extending the application period for any applicant would delay the determination of payment amounts for all applicants.

To establish a user account in GMS or to log on to GMS with a current user account, click here.

Required Data Submissions

The reporting period for FY 2002 is July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001.

Jurisdictions that apply for SCAAP funds must provide information—for the prescribed reporting period—on undocumented criminal alien inmates, the total reporting period salary information for all full- and part-time permanent and contracted correctional officers, and information regarding total inmate population.

Applicants may not include any records for inmates for whom the jurisdiction receives any payments from other jurisdictions or the Federal Government, including but not limited to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the U.S. Marshals Service, to cover costs for these specific illegal aliens. Applicants should include information relating to costs for undocumented criminal aliens that are housed in other locations at a cost to the applicant.

ALL inmate data must be submitted in the prescribed SCAAP format, regardless of whether the inmate data are typed into the onscreen data entry forms or uploaded from the applicant's data files. Click here for the prescribed format. Inmate country of birth information must be submitted in the standard INS format, which is available on the BJA SCAAP web page. Country code data dictionaries will no longer be accepted, and inmate records that are not in the required format will not be considered for funding.

Criteria for Determining Inmate Eligibility

Only those inmates who meet the following criteria should be included in the inmate records submitted with the FY 2002 SCAAP funding cycle:

• Foreign born (with no legal right or documentation to be in the United States).
• Incarcerated for a minimum of 72 consecutive hours during the reporting period (July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001).
• Incarcerated on either two misdemeanor or one felony charge or conviction.

Inmates can be listed more than one time for different periods of incarceration during the 12-month reporting period or use alias names for the same incarceration period, but in every case in which an inmate is listed more than once, the unique inmate number should be the same. Foreign-born inmates whose legal status in the United States is questionable should also be listed so INS can verify the individual's status. All inmate records are subject to audit by BJA and should be maintained by the agency and provided, on request, in a readable computer file or printed format.

FY 2002 Data Review

INS, BJA's partner in SCAAP, has primary responsibility for verifying alien inmate data to determine which inmates qualify for inclusion in the formula process. Information about inmates who are being claimed as possible qualifying aliens, including length of stay, must be provided by applicants in a specified format so INS can conduct its verification. The SCAAP web site and the SCAAP Internet application system include specific details about the required data format for uploaded files and also provide a data entry system for direct submission of inmate records.

FY 2002 Funding

Annual SCAAP payment amounts are determined using actual inmate, cost, and facility data for a specified reporting period. Whereas the relationship between data gathered and the payment amounts may not have been clear in prior years, information on the new Internet-based system clarifies that SCAAP is not a traditional reimbursement program. Payment amounts are not partial reimbursements of the actual cost, facility, and inmate data collected. SCAAP uses prior data, from a specified period, to determine applicants' annual relative percentages of available funding. All applicants' relative percentages must be determined at one time. To facilitate this process, BJA uses an electronically managed formula to determine relative percentages. After the current year's percentages are determined, the system applies the percentage values to the available funding for that fiscal year to determine actual payment amounts.

Payment calculations are based solely on the information provided by the jurisdiction through the electronic application system as verified by INS. The final inmate and facility factors for all applicants are considered in relation to the available appropriation to determine an applicant's percentage of the total SCAAP allocation for the current fiscal year.

Actual payment amounts from prior fiscal years should not be taken as indicators of payment amounts for FY 2002, as the factors across applicants, the number of eligible applicants, and the appropriated amount of funds may vary.

Payments will be made electronically. Jurisdictions may use SCAAP funds for any lawful purpose. There are no postpayment reporting requirements for SCAAP.

Sources for Further Information

For more information about SCAAP:

Call the OJP GMS Hotline at 1-888-549-9901, option #4. GMS staff are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. e.t.

or

Contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 1-800-421-6770 or 202-307-1480. DOJ Response Center staff are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. e.t.

For more information about BJA programs and funding, contact:

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
1-800-688-4252
Web site: www.ncjrs.gov

Clearinghouse staff are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. e.t.